ANOTHER ACOUSTIC RECORDING EXPERIENCE

[jornibudich]

Hello guys and greetings from Vancouver ,
Just posted a new cutting experiment in my blog with a video in You Tube.
http://odeonacoustic.blogspot.ca/2013_02_01_archive.html
http://youtu.be/fbxk5O0t-bk
I Hope you like it and hope to hear from more fellow handcrankers!
Cheers

[Steve E.]

video unavailable? wahhh. If I never welcomed you....a belated welcome! but I think I'm just blanking out for a moment here.

[shawnborri]

This is an early test made within a week after I purchased this recorder. It is believed to have been used by Walter Miller to make Edison cylinders and Diamond Discs. The sound quality of it, is actually much better now. I have a glass diaphragm in it, with 2 rubber gaskets with layers of burnt rubber between and then 2 more gaskets with burnt rubber on top of that. I have the tail of the stylus mounted to the rubber gasket with burnt rubber and to the center of the glass with stratina glue. This way the diaphragm and stylus are free to move and totally isolated from the sides or any influence of the recorder body. The carrige now I have a socket similar to a Victor sound tube junction, however the recorder is mounted in the middle, and can bob up and down on the blank. This recorder uses an advance ball to raise and lower the stylus into the wax. I had cutting stylus's made several years ago, which I am now out of so will see if I can have more made, of cup point 2 minute Edison style styluses. I had recently aquired an original studio feedscrew of 97 1/3 for making master records, this one, though has the reduction gear and driven by a chain from the mainshaft and was actually used to cut Edison four minute masters. I don't know how I found two parts of an original Edison lathe but I am excited to have them.

[shawnborri]

I have also spent time the last few years talking to Chuck Richards. I have thought it a good idea to standardize the blank formula and process used in the United States to make blanks. I asked Chuck and he said that it was good that I tried his method, as it proves that it can be duplicated by following some exact instructions. I have made several this way, with lots of filtering. The wax and mold are both met at 450 (232C) and it takes from 75-95 minutes to mould each blank. Each batch of wax takes two and a half hours with two 10 minute annealings. The new way uses a table of amount and time and temperature that each hydrated aluminum addition is added, and the time to the minute, so each batch is very uniform. Each batch makes one full cylinder and enough left over for another cylinder from 3 fresh batches. Even the brands of ingredients are standard. I have no problem saying that either Chuck Richards formula or my old one are very good, however the standardized Richards formula and method makes a better recording blank. I am using laboratory grade glass ware, and thermometers, the one I use goes up to 400 centigrade.